I'm a hawker, let me explain from the cost side. Everything I buy has gone up, chicken, rice, oil, vegetables, gas, packaging. When my ingredient costs jump 30% over a few years, I can't absorb all of it or I make a loss. Rent is another big one, some stalls especially in newer or privately-run food courts pay serious money. Then manpower, if I hire help, wages have risen and it's hard to find anyone. Utilities too. Honestly most hawkers raise prices reluctantly because customers complain and we fear losing them, so we often eat the cost longer than we should. The 3 dollar chicken rice was never sustainable at today's input costs. We're not greedy, we're squeezed.